Hamlet Critical Essay Assignment/ Presentation Guidelines:
Choose a scene to be analyzed. Possible choices are found below:
Act 1 Hamlets first appearance
Ghost scene Act 1
Nunnery Scene
Play within the Play Scene
Closet Scene
King Claudius praying scene
Ophelia's mad scene
Description of Ophelia’s death
Grave Scene
Hamlet's death
Framework for essay/ Presentation:
Introduction
· Place scene in context within the play
· Explain why this is a significant scene
· Link to the main themes of the play Main Content
· Analysis of the literary devices used in the passage.
· Exploration of the effects of the literary features, linking these effects to the development of the plot, the development of the characters, tragic elements, dramatic tension and so on.
· Must provide detailed, carefully chosen examples
Concluding comments
Bring your presentation to an end.
Explain once again how important the scene is and include your personal response or the possible response of the audience to this key scene in the play.
What literary devices should be analyzed? (choose 4)
Here are some examples of literary features which students may choose to examine in their presentation:
· Different types of imagery: e.g. disease/ decay/ death
· Tragic elements
· Foreshadowing
· Use of asides/soliloquies
· Symbolism
· Metaphors/similes /personification
· Sounds/alliteration/ assonance/sibilance
· Allusions
· Use of minor characters
· Characterization/relationship between characters/changes in character
· Setting
Paper Length: 3-4 pages
Presentation: no preset length
*Visual Aid required for Presentation on Monday (Power Point)
Hamlet Critical Essay Assignment/ Presentation Guidelines:
Choose a scene to be analyzed. Possible choices are found below:
Act 1 Hamlets first appearance
Ghost scene Act 1
Nunnery Scene
Play within the Play Scene
Closet Scene
King Claudius praying scene
Ophelia's mad scene
Description of Ophelia’s death
Grave Scene
Hamlet's death
Framework for essay/ Presentation:
Introduction
· Place scene in context within the play
· Explain why this is a significant scene
· Link to the main themes of the play
Main Content
· Analysis of the literary devices used in the passage.
· Exploration of the effects of the literary features, linking these effects to the development of the plot, the development of the characters, tragic elements, dramatic tension and so on.
· Must provide detailed, carefully chosen examples
Concluding comments
Bring your presentation to an end.
Explain once again how important the scene is and include your personal response or the possible response of the audience to this key scene in the play.
What literary devices should be analyzed? (choose 4)
Here are some examples of literary features which students may choose to examine in their presentation:
· Different types of imagery: e.g. disease/ decay/ death
· Tragic elements
· Foreshadowing
· Use of asides/soliloquies
· Symbolism
· Metaphors/similes /personification
· Sounds/alliteration/ assonance/sibilance
· Allusions
· Use of minor characters
· Characterization/relationship between characters/changes in character
· Setting
Paper Length: 3-4 pages
Presentation: no preset length
*Visual Aid required for Presentation on Monday (Power Point)
Hamlet Resources:
Hamlet Online Book
Literature Timeline